SEFER HA’ASSUFOT, MANUSCRIPT ON PARCHMENT [14th century]

181 leaves, 11 ¼ x 7 ½ inches; 286 x 191 mm, pricked on inside and lower margins, written in Ashkenazi script in brown ink, 1^{7, 2-218, 226, catchwords,  early and modern foliation in Hebrew and Arabic in pencil; fols. 1-5 and 177-181 very browned, tear in fol. 21 costing text in 3 lines, tear touching 8 lines of text on fol. 29, shoulder note on fol. 89 partially effaced, fols. 97-104 slightly clipped at fore-edge, folios 178-180 lack portions of lower margins, folio 181 lacks upper and lower margins, some staining and moderate discoloration. Half calf; joints splitting, spine damaged.}

Mordecai Samuel Ghirondi — Samuel David Luzzatto — Solomon Halberstam (shelf no. 115)

A. Y. Dziubas (London, 1942; reprinted, 1982); S. A. Stern, Moriah, 15 (1987), pp. 5-10; B. Z. Benedikt, Merkaz ha-Torah be-Provence, 1985, pp. 105-132; H. Gross in Magazin fuer die Wissenschaft des Judentums, 10, (1884), pp. 64-87; M. Gaster, Studies and Texts, vol. 2, (1928), pp. 711-724; Naphtali Wieder, The Formation of Jewish Liturgy in the East and the West, (1998), p. 91 (in Hebrew; quotes the formula bi-reshut shamayim in the invitation to the Grace after Meals [fol.121r]); Ivan G. Marcus, Rituals of Childhood: Jewish Acculturation in Medieval Europe, (1996), passim, and especially p.137; Halberstam, Kobak's Jeschurun, vol. 5, pp. 123, 471-476

Contents

Fols. 1r-169v: Sefer ha-Assufot.

Fols. 169v-170r: Midrash Rabbi Akiva on the Taggin [the traditional crowns on top of some Hebrew letters] (published by Wertheimer in Battei Midrashoth, vol. 2, pp. 471-476).

Fols. 170r-176v: Grammatical treatise on vocalization.

Fols. 176v-177v: Rabbenu Tam, Elohim li magen, rhymes on the cantilllation and vocalization signs (the poem was published by Halberstam in Kobak'Jeshurun, vol. 5, p. 123).

Fols. 177v-180r: Conjugation of Hebrew words in the future and past tenses; Fols.180v-181v: Various notes (list of words with the letters shi”n and si”n, prayer for the reversal of a bad dream, hatavat halom).

The present manuscript contains the only extant copy of Sefer ha-Assufot, a collection of legal decisions and customs, divided into 575 paragraphs, with a considerable portion dealing with dietary laws. This manuscript is unique, as Ivan G. Marcus writes in Rituals of Childhood: Jewish Acculturation in Medieval Europe: “This important book of Jewish law and tradition from Medieval Germany has never been published in its entirety. It survives in a single manuscript …”.

Throughout the volume decisions from the work of Ravia, Rabbi Eliezer ben Joel ha-Levi (thirteenth century,) are quoted, leading A. Aptowitzer in Mavo le-Sefer ha-Raavia, (p.50) to conclude: “It is reasonable to assume that [the author of Sefer ha-Assufot] was the grandson of Ravia … it could appropriately be called "Kitzur Ravia."  There are many other quotes from Rabbinic and Geonic literature as well as from German and French rabbinic authorities (for a list, see Dziubas’ edition, pp. 8-32). Throughout the text, the author uses Latin, French and German foreign words (see the list by Luzzatto at the end of the volume).  The scribe has drawn some simple illustrations relating to ritual slaughter, these images are introduced by the word ka-zeh or kegon zeh (fols. 3r, 4r, 7r, 9v, 11v).  Fol. 142v  contains a divorce document from Worms dated 1307. The word Meir, marked on fols. 49v, 77v, 90r, 110r is probably the name of the scribe. Previously, this work has been wrongly attributed to Elijah of Carcassone.  Parts of it were published by A. Y. Dziubas (London, 1942; reprinted, 1982), who gives its author as Elijah of Carcassone. Other parts were published by S. A. Stern, in Moriah, 15 (1987).  Stern rejected the attribution by Dziubas (and others).

The paper flyleaves, added later, contain notes by the scholars Moses Gaster, Halberstam, and S. D. Luzzatto. Halberstam remarks that the list of foreign words and their translations, which can be found at the end of the volume, is in Luzzatto’s hand.  On the third flyleaf there is a note in the hand of Mordecai Samuel Ghirondi stating that in a booklist in the library of his teacher, Isaac Rafael Finzi, he found that this book is by Isaac Aboab and is called Aron ha-eduth [of course, this is incorrect].